Are You Hanging Around the Right People?

On my bi monthly Mastermind call yesterday, one of the men in my breakout group said how being on the call was a priority for him. 

“The most important thing for me today is to be here,” he said. “I need to be surrounded by people who are on a similar path as I am.”

This part is worth repeating:

"I need to be surrounded by people who are on a similar path as I am."

This Mastermind is made up of people who are committed to personal growth. Some are running their own businesses. Some work for others.

We gather twice a month over Zoom to learn from each other and have a space to share things with people who understand what we are experiencing.

Not everyone in our lives fits that description.

In fact, more often than not, the people closest to us often don't understand what we're doing, how we're feeling, the struggles we're facing.

At one point in my life there were people in my family who openly attacked and shamed me for choosing to pursue an independent path that didn't look anything like the expected "prescribed" route of the day.

It took me a bit to move past that incident. And I eventually did. 

And moving forward, proceeded to remove myself as much as possible from all situations with this person.

Doing that did wonders for my soul.

Are You Hanging around the Right People?

How often are you in the company of people who lift you up? 

Who are pursuing a path parallel to yours even if it’s in a different industry?

Who encourage you to follow your dreams even if they seem weird or "out there" or impossible? 

Mastermind groups can be a great source of support. I joined my first Mastermind group in 2010 and haven't looked back.

Quick sidenote here: Mastermind groups have become a cliché in the Internet Age, as has just about everything else. Have you noticed we have managed to dissect and over-analyze every aspect of being alive and turned it into a meme?

I don’t intend this to sound cynical. It’s simply reality. And within this reality, people like myself, and the others in this particular Mastermind group, intentionally seek out the company of others who share our desire to grow, learn, lead, and serve. 

As Amy Poehler declares:

“I want to be around people that do things. I don’t want to be around people anymore that judge or talk about what people do. I want to be around people who dream, and support, and do things."

Do not underestimate the power of putting yourself in the company of people who share your values. Who dream, and support, and do things.

A well designed Mastermind group can give you this plus so much more.

One hour once or twice a month with people like this can mean the difference between moving forward with what matters most to you and standing cemented in wishful thinking or worse — apathy, disappointment, or anger.

There’s already too much of the latter in this world. I say go for the former.

Life’s so much better when you do!